Written in Sand, Written in Stone
by plainkate621
Summary: Set around but before the time of Yakone's trial. Lin spends an afternoon with Sokka, since Toph has decided it's unsafe for her to hang around the police station after school. Please let me know if I should keep expanding it :) PS: No Suyin only because this was written long before her character was introduced.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story began with Chapter 2. Chapter 1 was written much later, to add some context. The two chapters are not directly sequential/connected, although they do occur over the course of the same day. Feedback is welcome and appreciated :)

**_Beifong Residence, Early Morning**_

"But mom, _why? _I don't want to wait in Sokka's office, I want to come to the station! You used to let me help out all the time, and now you won't even let me in the building. I'm not a baby, I can—"

"Lin, that's ENOUGH." Toph's ruling was punctuated by the sound of stone striking wood. Her hand had come down firmly on the nightstand, making the fist-sized rock that rested there jump. The rock had one smooth face, and on it were grooves that spelled out a name: _Lin Bei Fong._ The drawer of the nightstand was mostly empty, amplifying the sound and startling the younger earthbender into silence. "If you're not a baby, then quit acting like one. You should be old enough to understand why I can't let you run around a building full of dangerous criminals, and you're definitely old enough to know how to mind your mother and obey without arguing! You _will_ go to school, you _will _be escorted to City Hall by Officer Meiling, and you _WILL_ wait with Sokka until I come to take you home. End of discussion." The words stung, and Lin held back angry tears. It wasn't fair, how her mother's blind eyes could bore into her so deeply.

"But mom, I just—"

"I'm not talking about petty crooks and gamblers, Lin! There is something serious going on in Republic City right now, and I cannot – will not – allow you to become involved even by accident. People are getting seriously hurt. Lin, three people have _died._ We're getting close to bringing down the ring leader, and every day we bring in more of his lackeys, but they're getting messages back to him somehow and I can't risk giving them the opportunity to use you as leverage to get to me. I know you're a smart and capable girl, Lin, but this is bigger than you and I need you to let me keep. You. SAFE." The chief took a deep breath, rooting her toes into the cool stone floor. Her daughter's breathing was shaky, and her heart was pounding. Toph drew her feet up onto the bed and opened her arms. "Come here, badgermole."

Lin barely fit in her mother's lap anymore. She made herself as small as she could, tucking her head under Toph's chin and taking comfort in the familiar heartbeat that echoed in the hollow of her collarbone. When her mother spoke, the words buzzed warmly in her ear.

"What's my job, Lin?"

"Republic City Chief of Police," Lin answered dully.

"That's my title," Toph corrected, flopping over onto the pillows and pulling Lin awkwardly with her. "What's my _job_?"

"To keep the city safe."

"That's right. And to do that, I have to remain strong. Sometimes that means you can't have all the freedom you want, and I'm sorry about that. It's probably no consolation, but I can tell you that it's not a very fun job. In fact, it's exhausting, stressful… there are days that I struggle to get up and put on that uniform."

"Then why do it?" Lin tested, her voice slightly bitter with residual anger.

"Because I love you, Lin, and I want you to grow up in a world you know you can shape. The United Republic is young, it's still finding its stride, but I believe in it. I believe in your future." Toph reached behind Lin and picked up the stone from her bedside table. The grooves carved into had been worn smooth from eight years' worth of tracing the characters with her fingers. "I was so selfish before you came along, Lin. Loving you has given me the strength to face my own faults, make myself better person, and hopefully help build a world you can be proud to call your inheritance. A world that your generation will want to keep making better and better after we're gone."

For a moment, there was silence. The city was still just beginning to wake up. Then Lin heard a cart go by. She heard a door open and shut across the street. She heard Mr. Li curse as he tripped over the cat yet again. In a few hours, even the relatively quiet neighborhood where they lived would be bustling with activity. Lin loved this city. She silently vowed to never let a selfish act undo all the hard work that Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, and countless others had done. And when it was her turn, she would protect the city just like her mother risked her life to do every day.

"Well, enough of all this serious stuff," Toph said with a wave of hand. She seemed to brush away Lin's bad mood as easily as a cobweb. "Sounds like Mr. Li is up – I bet we can snag a couple sweet buns for the road before the morning bakery rush hits. What do you say?"

Lin was already up and dragging her mother's duffel towards the door. "Okay, let's _go_ already!" she called over her shoulder. Mr. Li's sweet buns were not a matter to be taken lightly.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Republic City Park, Late Afternoon_**

"For my quick and creative thinking, Bato gave me the mark of the wise. Katara stayed calm and never showed fear under pressure, earning her the mark of the brave. Avatar Aang received the mark of the trusted. He understood his role within the team and did his part without questions or hesitation. He trusted my judgment just as much as I trusted his abilities. And that's how Aang became an honorary member of the Southern Water Tribe!"

"Wow, cool! Sokka, can you show me what the marks look like?" Sokka picked up a twig and drew three symbols in the dirt. Lin studied each one carefully, tracing them lightly with her fingertip. Sokka looked up into the tree above them.

"The truth is, Lin… sometimes I think Bato gave me the wrong mark. I've always wondered if he gave me that mark just because it was the same one my father earned, and he knew it would make me happy."

"But you're so smart! And you're on the Council!" Lin protested.

"Knowledge isn't the same as wisdom, Lin. Wisdom comes with a certain insight that can't be taught. When I think of people who are wise, I think of Aang, or my old swordsmanship teacher Master Piandao, or Zuko's uncle, Iroh. I've had many interests throughout my life, and I've been fortunate in having the opportunity to travel and learn. But the more I learn, the more complicated the world seems to get. I have to wonder, how much could a man like me really understand?"

"Well, _I_ think he got them right." Lin said stubbornly, hugging her knees. She bit her lip, staring at the marks and thinking. Sokka smiled gently as he watched her. She looked so serious, and somehow both older and younger than her eight years.

"What's on your mind, little bird?" Sokka was answered swiftly by Lin's index finger. It hovered less than an inch from his lips, and demanded their silence. He drew a startled breath. Her eyes remained focused on the symbols.

"Wait a minute, and I'll tell you." She withdrew her hand, and Sokka's smile returned. This was definitely Toph's child. Despite seeming reckless and hotheaded at times, when faced with opposition Toph always chose her moments carefully. And she HATED being rushed or prodded. After a few moments, Lin spoke.

"Okay, so, Aang's job is to guide the world towards peace. He talks about compromise a lot. So does Tenzin. In order to help people compromise, he has to understand both sides, right? He has to know where they're both coming from. So, both sides have to put their trust in him… I mean, they have to trust that he is going to do what's best for both sides, not just one. And Aang trusts that both sides will make an effort to change. That's what makes the compromise work." Sokka was impressed. Before he could praise her, Lin went on. "Katara's mark is a little trickier, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. In sparring lessons last week, we learned that when an opponent attacks, they almost always create an opportunity for counter-attack. They open themselves up, or give away their position, and become vulnerable. Katara has an open heart towards everybody, and she always shows her true self. That takes a kind of bravery, because being open makes you vulnerable." Sokka beamed, not only because Lin had remembered his sparring lesson, but also out of pride for his little sister. "And you," she pointed at him again, this time meeting his eyes with a confident expression, "You are wise because you understand that you don't know everything. I've listened to council meetings before, and I've even snuck into a few trials." Lin didn't pause to allow room for a reprimand. "Other people talk, but you listen. You ask questions. You never assume anything is right or wrong just because the story sounds good. You wait until the very end to decide, because you're wise enough to know that you can't just go with an answer without asking if there are other possible answer first."

For an instant, Sokka was stunned by the little girl's speech. He cracked a smile, chuckled, then let out a roaring laugh and pulled a giggling Lin onto his lap. "A pretty convincing argument, Miss Beifong. Maybe _you'll_ be on the Council one day," he said with a grin. She smiled back and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Sokka, are there other marks besides these three?"

"Those are among the most traditional, but anything fitting to the person can be used." Sokka was curious to hear Lin's ideas, so he prompted, "What mark would you give… Zuko, if you could choose anything?"

Lin picked up the stick Sokka had used to write with and tapped it against her cheek before touching it to the loose, dry earth. "I don't know… not pride… nobility maybe? Even when he's in traveling clothes, you can tell he's an important man."

"He does have an air of nobility about him, but there's something deeper to it. I think that's what you see." He guided her hand in writing _humility_. "Zuko has been through many trials in his life. He knows hardship and hatred and how power can corrupt. He was afraid of that power when he first took the throne in the Fire Nation, but instead of using it to control and oppress, like his father did, he uses his power to _serve_. He is probably the first Firelord in generations to acknowledge the Fire Nation as one part of a greater whole."

Lin nodded, thoughtful again. "What mark would you give my mom, if you could choose anything?"

"Well…" Sokka hesitated. In all their years as friends, Toph had never stopped coming up with new ways to amaze him. Beyond her incredible abilities as an earthbender, she was a loyal and unfaltering friend. Even though they often shared jokes and sarcastic banter, when push came to shove he could count on her. She was honest, and not afraid to voice her opinions. She was a loving and devoted mother to Lin, and despite her sometimes crass demeanor, was thoughtful, reflective, and sensitive to those around her. Sokka knew this because counted himself as one of the lucky few she trusted enough to open up to. And everything she did, she did in darkness. But instead of resenting her lack of sight, she embraced it. She used what some would call a disability to make her _stronger_. To do things, in fact, that no one had ever done before. He decisively wrote _strength _on the ground in front of them. Lin's eyes lit up.

"Yes! My mom is the strongest person I know… and under the strength, is love." She took the twig from Sokka's hand and wrote _love_ directly under _strength_. Sokka realized the truth in what his dark haired bird had said.

"You're a smart girl, Lin." Sokka said softly. "True strength comes from love – the love we give, the love we receive, and the love we have for ourselves. Never lose sight of that."

"Sokka?" Lin asked, looking up at him, "What mark would you give me?"

Sokka chuckled. "Maybe when you turn fourteen, I'll take you ice-dodging and we'll find out." Lin scrunched up her nose in frustration, then quickly hopped up from Sokka's lap. She stared back towards City Hall for a few seconds before dropping back down and thrusting both palms flat onto the earth. "What is it?" Sokka asked.

"I think Mom's coming!" Lin replied happily. Pulling his arm, she urged, "Come on, let's go." Sokka stood and, sure enough, saw Toph's silhouette cresting the bridge over the pond. Lin looked back at him expectantly, jogging impatiently in place a few steps away. He nodded, and she took off running. Toph set her duffel bag on the path and opened her arms to receive her daughter. Lin hugged her tight. "Hi, mom," she sighed into her mother's tunic. "I love you _soooo_ much."

"I love you too, badgermole." Toph hugged Lin back, then smoothed her daughter's hair and looked up at Sokka with a somewhat confused smile. Lin was still holding on tight and showing no signs of letting go. "Sokka," she teased, "what did you do to my daughter?"

"Nothing, mom, I'm just giving you some strength." Lin squeezed Toph's waist once more for good measure, then stood back to look up at her mother. Toph's smile was warm, but tired. She cupped her daughter's chin lovingly.

"Thank you, Lin. After the day I've had, I needed that."

"You got my message okay?" Sokka asked, picking up Toph's duffel. "Sorry to add another stop to your walk home, it was just too hot to stay cooped up in my office."

"It's no trouble," Toph replied, taking the bag from Sokka and shouldering it. "A good walk always cheers me up. Not to mention seeing this hooligan." She nudged Lin's cheek affectionately with her knuckles. "How about we pick up some dinner at The Hidden Dragon on the way home?"

"Yeah! I'm starving." Lin took her mom's hand. With the promise of supper, she was ready to go.

"You in, Sokka?" Toph offered. "I'm buying."

"Nah, but thank you. I left some paperwork on my desk that I should finish up." Sokka put his hands in his pockets. He wasn't sure why he suddenly felt sheepish in front of his best friend. "Maybe next time," he added in response to Lin's pout.

"Alright, see you later then. C'mon, Lin." They turned to go, Toph hitching her bag up on her shoulder. Sokka looked back at the tree where he had sat with Lin, and debated going to look again at the symbols they had written beneath it. A much-welcome breeze kicked up, and he turned back toward the bridge to face it. Toph and Lin were not too far away yet, and the breeze carried their voices to him as they walked hand in hand.

"Your hands are covered in earth, little badgermole. Been practicing?"

"Sokka was telling me stories, and we wrote stuff in the dirt."

"Did you know he tried to teach me to read that way once? I didn't have the patience for it, but I did learn to write my name. After you were born Sokka carved your name into a stone and gave it to me, so I would know how to write your name, too."

"The one you keep on the little table by your bed?"

"Yep. Haven't I told you that story before?"

"Hey, mom… I forgot to tell Sokka something."

"Can it wait till tomorrow?"

"Well…"

"Okay, go. Run. Hurry up."

The dark-haired girl practically flew back down the path. Upon reaching the Councilman, she gently tugged his sleeve. He knelt down and turned his ear towards her, expecting a secret. Instead, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Love you, Sokka."

"Love you too, Lin." He held her for a moment. She was growing up too fast. "Go on now, your mom is waiting." She sped away again, turning back once to wave before catching Toph's outstretched hand.

"Mom, can we get stir-fried vegetables and noodles for dinner?"

"What, no meat? You've been hanging around Air Temple Island too much."

"Mom, it's good! Please?"

"Okay, you can have noodles but I'm getting some spicy chickenpork dumplings for me."

"Ooh! Can I have one?"

"Nope. You wanted vegetables, remember?"

"Awwwwwwww, mom!"

"Alright, alright. But just one – the rest are mine!"

"Two!"

"One and a half."

"Two, and I'll wash the dishes."

"Deal."

Their voices faded as they crossed the bridge, and soon they faded from sight as well. The Councilman turned away with a weary sigh, abandoning the idea of paperwork and feeling very much as though his strength had just walked away from him.


End file.
